Cairn with a cist north of Whittenknowles Rocks

List Entry Summary

This monument is scheduled under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979 as amended as it appears to the Secretary of State to be of national importance. This entry is a copy, the original is held by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.

Name: Cairn with a cist north of Whittenknowles Rocks

List entry Number: 1010657

Location

The monument may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.

County: Devon

District: West Devon

District Type: District Authority

Parish: Sheepstor

National Park: DARTMOOR

Grade: Not applicable to this List entry.

Date first scheduled: 20-Feb-1992

Date of most recent amendment: Not applicable to this List entry.

Legacy System Information

The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.

Legacy System: RSM

UID: 10737

Asset Groupings

This list entry does not comprise part of an Asset Grouping. Asset Groupings are not part of the official record but are added later for information.

List entry Description

Summary of Monument

Legacy Record - This information may be included in the List Entry Details.

Reasons for Designation

Dartmoor is the largest expanse of open moorland in southern Britain and,
because of exceptional conditions of preservation, it is also one of the
most complete examples of an upland relict landscape in the whole country.
The great wealth and diversity of archaeological remains provides direct
evidence for human exploitation of the Moor from the early prehistoric period
onwards. The well-preserved and often visible relationship between settlement
sites, major land boundaries, trackways, ceremonial and funerary monuments as
well as later industrial remains, gives significant insights into successive
changes in the pattern of land use through time.

Round cairns are prehistoric funerary monuments dating to the Bronze Age
(c.2500-1000 BC). They were constructed as earthen or rubble mounds, the
latter predominating in areas of upland Britain where such raw materials were
locally available in abundance. Round cairns may cover single or multiple
burials and are sometimes surrounded by an outer ditch. Often occupying
prominent locations, they are a major visual element in the modern landscape.
Their considerable variation in form and longevity as a monument type provide
important information on the diversity of beliefs and social organisation
amongst early prehistoric communities. They are particularly representative
of their period and a substantial proportion of surviving examples are
considered worthy of protection. Dartmoor provides one of the best preserved
and densest concentrations of round cairns in south-western Britain.

History

Legacy Record - This information may be included in the List Entry Details.

Details

This cairn with a cist lies on a north-west facing slope north of
Whittenknowles Rocks and south of Combeshead Tor. It consists of a mound 6m in
diameter and up to 0.4m in height, with a cist, placed off centre and
orientated north-west/south-east, and a retaining kerb of six stones. The cist
is 1.7m in length, 1.2m in width and 0.3m in depth. The south-west side is
composed of two slabs, both sides and ends are present, the coverstone lies
on the north-east side.

MAP EXTRACT
The site of the monument is shown on the attached map extract.
It includes a 2 metre boundary around the archaeological features,
considered to be essential for the monument's support and preservation.

Selected Sources

Legacy Record - This information may be included in the List Entry Details

The information and images below are the opinion of the contributor, are not part of the official entry and do not represent the official position of Historic England. We have not checked that the contributions below are factually accurate. Please see our terms and conditions. If you wish to report an issue with a contribution or have a question please email EnrichingTheList@HistoricEngland.org.uk.